Shelly’s Top Reads of 2013

Oh, where has the time gone?! It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2013 and I realized that I’ve not shared my favorite books, yet. It’s time to change that, so bear with me as I tell you what tickled my fancy the most. Before you start reading, I have to warn you that these weren’t necessarily published in 2013, that’s just when I read them.

Paranormal Romance:

Truth’s Evil Light by Michaela McGregor – I read this at the beginning of the year and I still remember it. The story is not a simple, mainly because of the variety of otherworldly characters and how they came to be. I loved the way that it’s told, especially the world building. This was a great way to start the year and an absolute joy reading about Cheveyo ‘Chevy’ Singer and her band of misfits. I’m eagerly waiting for the second in the series. COME on 2014!

The Charmed Souls (The Charmed Trilogy, Book 2) & The Charmed Fates (The Charmed Trilogy, Book 3) by Christine Wenrick – If I was in a cinch and had to pick one, I honestly can’t tell you which of these books I prefer, they’re both so good. The way that Olivia’s story developed and kept evolving had me turning the pages. It’s rare that I read a trilogy or any series about a focused couple where the stories kept getting better and better. Had I done this list last year, I would have also told you to read Book 1 too.

Contemporary Romance:

A Fallow Heart by Linda Kage – I’m not even kidding you folks, this book had me in a crying and rocking in a corner. Lost love stories can be so cliché but this one wasn’t. Cooper and Jo Ellen just kept pulling me into their world and I was really mad when I had to leave. I’ve since read other stories by Kage and have yet to walk away disappointed.

Secret Maneuvers by Jessie Lane – This was my biggest shock of the year – the shock being that I liked it as much as I did. The chemistry between Bobby and Belle was strong and tangible. Contrary to the cover this has a lot of substance and is one I’ve re-read a couple of times.

Historical Western:

A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris – I very rarely read this category of stories but the blurb got me and once I started in I couldn’t put it down. Ellen was one of the strongest women I’ve read about in a long while – she had gumption. This is one of those stories where the hero is actually a jerk to the heroine, but he had his reasons and it was hard to hate him for them; that amongst a few other things made this one stand out.

Erotica/Ménage:

Playing the Game by M.Q. Barber – This is one of the few books that have been recommended to me that I thought was great. Even though I’m not a fan of HFN, nor will I ever be, I must confess that this is a HFN; regardless, I really think that it was worth the read. An m/m/f with BDSM, which if you’re a fan, this is a must. If you’re like me who think that the majority of stories that add BDSM because that’s the new craze also ruin what could be a good story – this isn’t one of those. The lifestyle elements are neither overdone nor superfluous to the storyline. The three characters have equal footing so there’s not a feeling of a couple with a 3rd which is a big turn off for me when I’m reading this category. This was a credible story about friends that turn into lovers.